动态句法学理论及其发展

Dynamic Syntax and Its Development

动态句法学强调句法、语义和语用之间的交互关系在语句表达和理解中的重要作用,把句法定义为依据语境渐进地构建语句逻辑式的动态过程,对语义内容及语用环境的表征均做出结构化的形式刻画,从而较好地完成结构、语义及语用界面的形式一体化工作。通过建立语句的动态解析模型,动态句法学对以往语法研究中的不少疑难问题都作出了比较信服的解释,如照应性表达、错位结构、省略结构及会话片段等。然而也应该坦承,动态句法由于技术工具繁多,形式化程度相应也高,难以吸引较多人去研究。它问世至今虽十年有余,似乎仍是理论语言学界较弱的一脉。本文拟对动态句法学的理论框架、应用价值及最新动态做一综合性介绍,借此希望国内学者从中批判地汲取有益的思想。

Dynamic Syntax is a parsing-based grammar formalism which allows the interaction between lexical, structural and pragmatic information during the course of utterance generation and comprehension. It defines syntax as a process of incrementally building up the propositional logical form of utterances relative to context, and accordingly provides both representations of content and context dynamically and structurally. As an ideal approach to the interfaces between syntax, semantics and pragmatics, Dynamic Syntax offers an adequate account for a variety of problematic linguistic phenomena, such as anaphoric expressions, dislocation structures, elliptical constructions and dialogue fragments. This paper provides a comprehensive introduction to the theoretical framework of Dynamic Syntax as well as its applications and developments. It is hoped that Chinese linguists can critically assess and draw ideas from this somewhat novel theory.